11 Dec 2015

EUROPEAN COMMISSION DAILY NEWS – 11 DECEMBER

MAIN NEWS

Today’s adoption of Greece’s Rural Development Programme (RDP) marks the end of the adoption process for all 118 programmes for the 2014-2020 period. With €99.6 billion from the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) and with another €60.6 billion of co-funding from national and regional public funds or private investment, the RDPs will help European rural areas and communities face the current economic, environmental and social challenges, and take advantage of the opportunities ahead of them. Marking this milestone, Commissioner Phil Hogan said: “The Rural Development Programme is about jobs, growth, investment and competitiveness in rural Europe. With smart and strategic investment, the RDPs will drive generational renewal and create the conditions for a vibrant rural economy, society and environment. With COP21 ongoing in Paris, there is an inevitable focus in addressing the considerable climate challenge and the Rural Development Programme has a significant role to play in contributing to meeting this challenge.” Some of the expected achievements of the RDP for 2014-2020 are outlined in this factsheet. Commissioner Hogan is chairing a press conference on rural development today at 12:00 which you can follow live on EbS. A press release is also available in all languages here. Read overview of all 118 programmes here.

EU’s Commissioner for Environment, Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, Karmenu Vella will present the Commission’s proposals for fixing fishing opportunities for 2016 for the Atlantic, North Sea and Black Sea to the Agriculture and Fisheries Council on 14-15 December. This proposal sets out how much EU fishermen may catch from the main commercial fish stocks next year, estimated to be worth more than 4 billion euros. For the first time the Commission has also proposed the so-called quota “top-ups”for some fisheries that will come under the landing obligation in 2016. These quotas aim to compensate fishermen for the fish they will have to land, without increasing pressure on stocks. Decisions are taken within the framework of the EU’s Common Fisheries Policy, which aims to have all stocks fished at sustainable levels by 2020 at the latest. EU fisheries ministers are set to reach political agreement so that the limits can enter into force on 1 January 2016. On agriculture issues under EU Commissioner for Agriculture & Rural Development Phil Hogan, ministers will have an exchange of views on sustainable agriculture in the bio-economy. They will also be updated by the presidency on the state of play of the proposals relating to the supply of fruit, vegetables, bananas and milk in schools following this week’s trilogues. The Polish delegation will raise an issue under AOB on the position of the pig meat sector in Poland and the Luxembourg Presidency will brief the Council on the outcome of seminar regarding young people in agriculture. Press conference can be on: http://video.consilium.europa.eu.

OTHER NEWS

EUROSTAT: Consumption per capita varied between 51% and 141% of the EU average